Lansdale man sentenced to jail in connection with fire at former employer

NORRISTOWN – A Lansdale man faces several years of court supervision after he admitted to setting paper on fire at the borough business from which he had been fired.

Tyrone Allan Heitz, 22, of the 800 block of Wedgewood Drive, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 30 days to 23 months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to charges of criminal mischief and recklessly endangering others in connection with the April 2012 incident at Berks Wiper Converting on North Valley Road in Lansdale. President Judge William J. Furber Jr., who accepted a plea agreement in the matter, also ordered Heitz to complete two years’ probation after he’s paroled, meaning Heitz will be under court supervision for nearly four years.

The judge further ordered Heitz to complete 48 hours of community service and to undergo an arson risk assessment as a condition of the sentence.

Heitz must report to the county jail on Feb. 15 to begin serving the sentence.

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Other charges of arson endangering property and disorderly conduct were dismissed against Heitz as part of the plea agreement.

An investigation began about 7:35 a.m. April 19 when Lansdale police responded to the business, located in the700 block of North Valley Forge Road, for a report that an employee had just set paper on fire shortly after being fired, according to the arrest affidavit.

“Before and during the incident, several employees occupied the building and warehouse,” Lansdale Police Officer Drew Freed alleged in the arrest affidavit. “As Heitz was leaving the facility, upset by being fired from his employment, (a manager) stated that Heitz lit a roll of paper with an unknown source in the warehouse.”

Heitz then left the warehouse on foot, police said.

“As Heitz left the building, the flame quickly grew. (A manager) attempted to put the fire out and in the process burned his hand with minor injuries,” Freed alleged.

The fire was successfully extinguished by other employees with a fire extinguisher before police arrived, court papers indicate. Company officials told police that the roll of paper that was ignited was an 800-pound master roll valued at $3,500.

“Surrounding the roll of paper that was set on fire are hundreds of other rolls of paper, which are also very flammable,” Freed alleged.

Police alleged Heitz’s conduct placed other occupants of the business in danger of death or serious bodily injury.